upended
Today is an extraordinary day in history. On April 4, 1968, social activist Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life for the cause of civil rights and injustice. Just as he was leaving his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, he stopped to speak from the second-floor balcony to the crowd gathered. Moments later, a bullet shot from the gun of James Earl Ray into King's neck sparked a new unexpected dimension to the 1960s.
The previous day, King had given one of the most captivating speeches of his life, known now as the "Mountaintop" speech (Part 1 & Part 2), which had peculiar timing according to his advisors at the time. King spoke as if this time in his life was his peak, and that he had seen all the he could do. The speech itself, incredible, has King giving both his humor and his seriousness. It's perplexing to listen to on the other side of history, as if he knew that his death was upon him. As the recounting of his travels and his time in the movement and the talk of threats that were coming toward King continued to rally those gathered to listen on April 3, the actions of James Earl Ray on April 4 brought forth reactions to a divided country that took decades to heal, and in some areas, they still have not mended. As news broke of King's death on radio and through news outlets and by word of mouth, mourning began throughout the country. But far worse, riots broke out, and people lashed out on their own communities in anger, torching businesses, and destroying their towns. The pain they felt could no longer be withheld inside. Massive riots erupted in cities like Trenton, New Jersey, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
In Washington, D.C., the Shaw, Columbia Heights, Petworth, H Street NE Corridor, and U Street, were historically African-American neighborhoods, despite the end of segregation. As the news spread, riots exploded in Shaw, U Street, the H Street NE Corridor, and Columbia Heights, and protests built up Georgia Avenue. The city burned brightly, and Lyndon B. Johnson nationalized the guard to protect the city from complete destruction. D.C. radio icon Petey Greene launched onto the radio and pleaded that people stay in their homes and continue the non-violent mission of MLK, no matter how angry they may be. He encouraged they call in and express their anger over the phone. He left the lines open all night.
The damage done to Washington, D.C. took years to restore. In Shaw/U Street, the only business left standing after the riots was the Ben's Chili Bowl (and everyone who works there will tell you proudly about it if it ever slows down enough to do so). The destruction caused property values to sharply decline, and racial tensions continued to separate white and black by neighborhoods. In the past decade, many of these neighborhoods have just recently been able to redevelop. U Street, with Ben's Chili Bowl as an anchor, is now a hotspot for nightlife. Columbia Heights experienced redevelopment, and now holds the only mall-like structure within the district limits, providing district residents the opportunity to shop and spend dollars within their place of residence and not in Maryland or Virginia. Many neighborhoods are still struggling to survive and put themselves back on the map, but they are determined not to fail.
King said:
One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant, and face the challenge of change.
The spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. is continually alive and well in the city of Washington, D.C. As King pushed on in his darkest of days, so has D.C. The district has its limitations and its failures, but it has its successes and prospects to launch it into more than just the nation's capital. The district and its residents have continued for more than 40 years to rebuild and redevelop the city to its former and new glory. The city has more to offer than just the federal government, and the people here are committed to prove it.
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Ha! I think it’s really interesting that during my recent visit to DC, I ended up in both the U Street area (buying some dinner at Zenebech Injera) and in Columbia Heights (shopping at the very mall you spoke of).
nick…
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